


Tears of Ice

by HarlequinFairy



Category: The Avengers (2012)
Genre: Gen, M/M, Multi, post-avengers au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-03-07
Updated: 2013-03-07
Packaged: 2017-12-04 14:21:44
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,776
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/711691
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HarlequinFairy/pseuds/HarlequinFairy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After all that happened on Midgar Loki is brough back to Asgaurd and imprisoned in the palace.  The return of an old mentor changes everything.  (Discontinued)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Another escape attempt had failed, once again Loki had been subdued as he once again tried to flee Asgard. This time though, the Allfather had grown weary of his son's antics. Being kind to his wayward son had gotten him nowhere, confining him to his chambers had led to these continued escapades, and Odin was tired of it. Kindness had not worked, leaving Odin with little else he could do. Much to Frigga and Thor's protest, Odin had ordered his trickster son whipped, 50 lashes, Odin hoped this would be the only time he would have to resort to this method. Odin ordered the bridle removed, and to much surprise Loki didn't speak a word. He just stared at Odin, all his hate and anger concentrated in those green orbs as they fastened his hands to the posts. As the punishment began Loki closed his eyes and gritted his teeth. For 50 lashes barely a sound was heard, only in the final lashes did the prince begin to whimper. Once his hands were released and he collapsed to the ground, Odin had to stop Thor from running to his brother's side, there would be no comfort for Loki, at least not right now, he wanted this moment to sink in first.  
  
Loki was taken back to his room and laid, none too gently, on his bed. He laid there, not daring to move, every muscle in his back quivering. He knew at least two of the strikes had overlapped, and broken the skin, he wasn't sure if they were still bleeding or not, not that he was going to ask for help in tending them. Damn the Allfather to the reaches of the nether, did he think pain would make Loki bend to his will? Worse off, he had put magically imbued bracers on Loki that made him incapable of using his magic. Loki tried to shift on the bed to a more comfortable position, but only received painful protest from his back. So he just laid there, unceremoniously, sighing, at least they hadn't forced that blasted bridle back in his mouth, at least for now.   
  
Loki didn't even realize he had fallen asleep until he heard knocking at his door. He heard Thor's voice muffled through the large wooden door, that bafoon was one of the last people Loki wanted to see right now. Loki opened his eyes and tried to push himself up on his elbows, trying to look atleast a little dignified. When he did he knew something was immediately wrong, the edge of his vision was blurred, his arms where trembling, he looked down at his hands, the viens in his hands and arms where a dark, seemingly black color. He heard the door opening behind him, “Loki I wanted to check on you brother.” Loki tried to form words, some snide remark to Thor, but his voice wouldn't work, worse off he felt light headed. He heard Thor's boots approaching him and heard the crown prince gasp, “By the nine realms, Loki, your back....” Loki barely had time to register Thor touching him before everything went black.  
  
Thor's yell brought the whole palace alive in a matter of moment, Odin and Frigga tore through the palace as fast as they could. By time they reached the hall, servants, and guards alike had crowded outside Loki's room. They all instantly parted allowing the King and Queen through. When they entered the room Thor was holding his brother, shaking him and calling his name over and over. Frigga was at his side before Odin could even think of moving. She took one of Loki's hands and looked it over, her eyes wide with terror. Not only were his veins black, but he was cold as death, she looked over him more, the veins on his neck and face where starting to darken as well.   
  
“What happened?” Odin finally found the energy to move.  
  
“I don't know father, I came to check on him and he collapsed, his back its...” Thor turned his brother showing his father and mother a horrible black festering wound near Loki's shoulder blade. Frigga gasped putting her hand over her mouth. At that moment is when the lead healer made his appearance, he was at Odin's other side, looking over Loki with puzzlement.  
  
“What is it master healer? What ails him?” Odin asked the healer.  
  
“I cannot say for sure my king. Bring him to the healer's room that I can get a better look.” Thor needed no other words, he hoisted Loki up bridal style, and the Warriors Three moved swiftly to clear the path between them and the healer's room.  
  
It seemed like an eternity as the healers hovered over Loki's body speaking in hushed tones back and forth. Thor paced the hall, growing ever more impatient. Odin clasped Frigga's hand tightly trying to comfort his nervous wife. The lead healer finally approached them, he was nervous, on edge.   
  
“What is it healer? Why has befallen my brother?” Thor pressed him urgently.   
  
“We an only be for certain it is not a spell my lord. Forgive me, but other than that we are unsure, the only possibility we have at this moment is an impossible guess.” The healer bowed his head.  
  
“Like what?” Odin asked.  
  
“Its a legend, a myth. Old stories speak of a poison so rare and powerful it is said to be able to take down the most powerful of creatures. They call it Wyrm Slayer, but it is only a story my lord, no one has ever seen nor heard of its use outside of those stories.” The healer rung his hands together.  
  
Sif grabbed Thor's arm, “My Lord, Master Anison spoke of Wyrm Slayer once in our lessons.”   
  
Odin looked to Sif, Anison a name he had not heard in centuries, one that brought a pang of guilt to the All Father.   
  
“He did, he spoke of the poison that burns the blood and drives one the madness till they finally end themselves.” Hogun spoke nodding.   
  
“Did he ever speak of a cure?” Frigga asked, her voice quivering.   
  
Hogun and Sif looked at each other, trying to remember a lesson taught so long ago.  
  
“Nine Ingredients, representing each of the nine realms. I remember only a few of them...” Sif closed her eyes reciting off a few plants, some found in Asgard, others even Odin had never heard of, but even so neither her nor Hogun could remember them all, and even if they did, Anison never told them how to create the cure, and the healer had never even heard of a cure, making him quite useless. It left the All-father one choice, Anison himself.  
  
“Blast it all, if only we knew where Master Anison was.” Thor pounded his fist on a nearby wall.  
  
“All of you stay here.” Odin spoke sternly before turning on his heel and leaving the room.  
  
  
Odin descended further and further beneath his palace, past the dungeons, deeper and deeper, the long hallways here only illuminated by the torch in the All-father's hand. No one patrolled or guarded these halls, most of the guard did not even know these passages existed. After a long trek, and much arguing with himself, Odin stood before a large stone door. Engraved in the stone was a mural of a great winged beast reared up, massive maw calling out to the sky. It hadn't been carved, it had simply appeared when Odin had sealed this door centuries ago, and now here he was about to open the seal on it. Odin cast out his free hand and began to chant, blue light began to illuminate the crevices and curves of the mural before a great crack broke the otherwise quite passage as the door began to open.  
  
“It had been a long time Odin.” A calm tenor voice spoke from the darkness.  
  
“You were right Anison. I was wrong to hide the truth from him for so long. Now he is in danger, someone has poisoned him with Wyrm Slayer, and you are the only one we know of who knows how to make the antidote.” Odin didn't even flinch when a figure appeared in the doorway.   
  
A man with purest white skin, dark sapphire eyes and flowing ebony locks stared at Odin, the barest hint of a snarl on his pale lips. “Take me to him.”


	2. Chapter 2

The two men passed through the hall in silent rush, Anison's elaborate flowing robes trailing about behind him, his eyes fixed ahead, his lips pursed in a silent anger. When they turned into the hall where the healer's room was a choir of voices called out from the end of the hall. “Master Anison!” Everyone was in suprise how the missing mentor had simply appeared in their hour of need.   
  
Thor approached them fast, “Please Master Anison, you have to help him.” Anison didn't break stride, he continued into the healer's room without so much as a word and came to Loki's side. His hand cast out to touch his suffering pupil's face, long black nails trailing down his cheek tracing the dark lines formed by the poison. His eyes reflected clam contemplation before be began to softly chant in a language none present understood.   
  
“My King....” the lead healer stuttered, “Who is this man, what is he doing?”   
  
“He is saving my son, and you will do exactly as he instructs.” Odin replied harshly.  
  
When Anison finished chanting he turned and looked at Odin and Thor, “I have slowed the poison for now, but we must act quickly lest there be permanent damage.” He then turned to the group of healers standing about, “I require a list of ingredients, you will begin the preparations while I gather the other ingredients, and you will prepare it exactly as I say, down to the very last detail.” his sapphire eyes narrowing his upper lip curling into a faint snarl. All the healers backed up scared, while nodding. He then began to give them the list of ingredients and how to begin preparing them. He then turned to Lady Sif and the Warriors Three. “Lady Sif, you where the next most adept in alchemy after the prince, come with me, I require your assistance.” She moved swiftly to his side and began to follow him as he crossed the room to a small door. “My lord, that is a....” Spoke one of the journeyman apprentices until Anison opened the door revealing a set of stairs, “Storage closet...” The two disappeared up the stairs leaving the journeyman stunned.  
  
“Master, I must ask where have you been? You simply disappeared many years ago, no one has seen nor heard from you.” Sif asked as they ascended the spiral staircase. “It is not of consequence right now, focus child, the task at hand is a delicate one.” He said dryly. “Yes sir....” After a few more turns in the stairs they found themselves standing in the center of a massive indoor garden, Sif had never seen this place before. “Do you remember what storm fury looks like?” Anison turned and looked into her eyes.   
“Uh, yes Sir.”   
  
“And how to harvest it?”   
  
“You must be cautious of the thorns, lest you cut yourself and ruin the blooms. Are you certain they will be in blossom now?”   
  
“I am certain. Go that way, and beware of the maiden weed I am sure it is most aggressive right now. Harvest three blossoms and return to the healers.”   
  
“What of you my lord?” Sif asked biting her lip realizing the foolishness of questioning the master.  
  
“I must gather the rarest of ingredient, and it takes a very special hand to harvest it.”   
  
Sif nodded and turned moving in the direction Anison had pointed. Anison turned another direction and moved through the winding paths of the garden. Soon the ground around changed, becoming cold and snow covered, strange plants grew here, ones native to Johtunhiem. Anison came to the end of the path and before him stood a small bush seemingly made of ice, but in the facets of the ice reflected strange and wondrous patterns of color. Anison knelt before the plant and began to chant softly.  
  
Sif had long since returned to the others, the healers had begun the brew just as instructed and looked around nervously. Loki had begun to run a fever, he was tossing his head mumbling incoherently occasionally screaming out as if fighting off an attacker. Frigga sat at his side, holding his hand tightly fighting back tears. Odin had not stopped staring at the door from which Anison had gone through, and when it finally opened he had to hold his tongue, the man had said they needed to hurry and yet it was he who took a long time to return. Everyone's attention was on Anison as he crossed the room to the work bench where his concoction had been brewing as instructed, in his hands he held an object wrapped in cloth. “Is everything exactly as I instructed. It is imperative, I cannot gather another of these, and if the potion is not exact it will not work.” “We did everything as instructed, down to the smallest detail.” Anison staired at the mixture simmering and then turned and look at Loki, his face blank and unreadable. He turned back and unwrapped the cloth, what could be compared to an unbloomed Midgar rose made of ice sat in his hands, it reflected hues of blues and greens in its surface. He held the bloom up and began to chant, this time in the tongue native to the Frost Giants. The flower began to bloom in his hand. Everyone stared in wonder at the growing blossom, in the center appeared to be a gem, it was blood red and radiating a strange light. Once the flower finished blooming it began to turn to dust. Anison set the cloth down on the table and lifted the red gem up ever so gently as if it would shatter he held it over the vessel holding the rest of the brew whispering a few last words before releasing it into the vessel. A red cloud of smoke rose up from it, twisting up and around forming a momentary shape of a Wyrm before dissipating. He lifted the cup and turned to face everyone, “Now everyone but the royal family must leave.” Everyone looked at him stunned, “But this is...” “Everyone leave, thats an order.” Odin cut off the lead healer. With that everyone but Thor and Frigga bowed and left the room closing the large doors behind them. Once the doors closed Anison appraoched Loki sitting on the edge of the bed opposite of Frigga.   
  
“Why must everyone else be absent?” Thor asked.   
  
“Lest you wish them to know your brother's secret.” Anison said calmly before asking Frigga to hold the cup while he lifted Loki into his arms. Loki tried to push away from Anison's arms, his breath coming in short rapid gasps.   
  
“Calm down my prince, it is I, Anison. I will make all those visions go away.” He said softly placing his hand over Loki's eyes. Loki immediately stopped fighting, his hands dropping into his lap. Anison removed his hand and held it out to take the cup from Frigga, he gently placed it to Loki's lips coaxing him to drink it with soft words. Loki drank the brew with little struggle and when the last drop was gone Anison set the cup down pulling Loki more into his lap. The royal family sat watching, waiting. Within a minute Loki's whole body went taught, his eyes squeezed shut, his face contoured in pain before letting out a horrible cry of pain. Then his Aesir guide began to slip away, the blue Johtun skin replacing it. Loki began to pant and cry his hand coming up gripping onto Anison's arm.   
  
“Fight it Loki, you can do it.” Anison whispered softly. “We are here with you my son.” Frigga was crying tears of concern rolling down her face. “Fight Brother, Win.” Thor was shaking.  
  
Anison shifted his arm that was supporting Loki's back, looking at his hand, it was covered in a thick black substance, and more of it was dripping onto the bed below. “Your doing it Loki, keep fighting.” The black mess on the bed began to burn the cloth of the sheets, drawing a gasp from Frigga. Loki clung tighter to Anison, burying his face into his mentor's robes sobbing, Anison set his chin on top of Loki's head holding the suffering man tightly. Thor had moved to behind his mother, his hands resting on her shoulders staring at his brother. Odin hadn't moved, he was staring at the scene before him, the way Anison held Loki brought memories back to the All-father along with the guilt he had hidden away.  
  
After long agonizing minutes Loki began to quite, he wasn't shaking as much and his breath began to slow. It wasn't much longer before he went still, asleep in Anison's arms. Anison loosened his grip on Loki rolling him gently in his arms, when Frigga and Thor could see his face again, the black lines had disappeared. “The worst is over, he will need much sleep to finish recovering.” Anison passed his hand over Loki forcing the Aesir glmaour to appear once again. Frigga palced her hand on Loki's arm, a soft smile coming over her face before she looked up at Anison. “Thank you. We lost him once, I couldn't bear to loose him again.”


	3. Chapter 3

It was late the next evening, Loki was sleeping soundly as Anison sat at his side flipping through a book. He hadn't once yet left Loki's side, even at Thor's beckoning for him to rest. Odin entered the room and sat down in the chair on the opposite side of the bed, Anison continued his reading ignoring the All-father. Odin folded his hands and took a deep breath, “We need to talk Anison.”   
  
Anison didn't even look up, “Concerning?”   
  
“Don't mock me Anison.” Anison sighed, closed the book and set it down on the table, he turned and looked at the all-father, his piercing blue eyes reflecting indifference.   
  
Odin sighed again, “I wanted to tell you what has happened in these years, what my mistake has cost me, cost him.”  
  
“I'm listening.”  
  
And so late into the night Odin told the story of the events that had brought them to this current moment, the coronation, the frost giants, Laufey's death, and the events that unfolded on earth and about the Chitauri. Anison sat with his arms crossed over his chest staring off into the distance listening, when Odin finished Anison closed his eyes momentarily.   
  
“From this day forth then, I will be his guardian.” Anison spoke calmly, Odin looked stunned.   
  
“He won't accept that, he does not want to be here. He does not want anything to do with anyone.”  
  
“You, he does not want anything to do with you. I am his mentor, I trained him in the arcane arts. He has no reason to not trust me.” Anison's words cut Odin, but they were true, as a child Loki adored, even idolized Anison. He remembered how heart-broken his son had been when Anison had disappeared.  
  
“Very well, he is not leave the palace.” Odin resigned himself to that fact that he could not handle Loki, and prayed Anison could.  
  
“I presume my towers is considered part of the palace?” Anison cocked an eyebrow.   
  
“Yes.” Odin stood up and began to leave, he stopped at the door, “Take care of him Anison, I know I caused all of this, but all I want is my son back.”   
  
“I make no promise on the latter.” With that Odin nodded and left.  
  
It was the fourth night when Loki finally began to stir. The moon was full and radiating through the large windows onto the prince's fair skin, emerald eyes fluttered open staring dazed at the ceiling above.  
  
“It is good to see you awake my prince.” a soft tenor voice spoke.  
  
Loki turned his head to the voice the haze of sleep making him doubt what he saw, “Anison?” his voice was hoarse and dry. The moon's rays seemed to glow off of the older man's skin as a small smile graced his pale lips.   
  
“It is I my prince.” he turned to a nearby table and poured a glass of water from a pitcher. Loki tried his best to push himself up on his elbows, with assistance from Anison he manages to sit up enough to drink from the cup without spilling it. Once empty, Anison set it aside and helped the prince lie back down, readjusting the covers over him.   
  
“Anison, why did you leave?” Anison could see the hurt in Loki's eyes and he sighed.  
  
“That is a conversation for another time, what matters if I am here now, and I do not plan to leave anytime soon.” He reached over and pushed a strand of loose hair out of Loki's face.  
  
“Did they tell you what I did?” Loki lowered his voice, looking away from Anison.  
  
“Yes.”   
  
“Do you think I'm a monster?”   
  
Anison froze, his eyes going cold, he wanted to know who made Loki think that way so he could squeeze the life from them. He reached over and turned Loki's face and brought his closer.   
  
“Listen to me Loki, what you are is a brilliant and amazingly talented mage, none of likes the nine realms have ever seen, nor will they see again. I do not see a monster, I see someone who is very important to me, someone I would give my life to protect.” Anison ran his thumb over Loki's cheek.  
  
Loki's eyes softened and his body relaxed, as if a great burden had been lifted off him. Anison leaned over and placed a soft kiss on his forehead.   
  
“Now rest my prince, you need to regain your strength, there is still many a lesson for you to learn.” Anison sat back down in his chair and watched as his student drifted back to sleep.   
  
The next days where filled with Loki sleeping, feigning sleep to avoid speaking with his family, and having short conversation with Anison about varying topics of mutual interest while drinking tinctures Anison had brewed, to the frustration of the healers. With each passing day Loki's strength grew till the healers felt there was no longer any need for him to remain under their care, if it could be called such. Loki did not realize the true extent of the toll the poison had taken on him until he arrived at his chambers winded. He sat on the edge of his bed and took a deep breath.  
  
“From one cage to another.” he mused as he watched Anison walk the perimeter of his room. He stopped at a large tapestry that covered from the floor to the ceiling, it told the story of a great battle fought long ago on another realm, Loki watched inquisitively as his mentor put his hand on the fabric and nodded decidedly. He heard Anison speak a few words and then watched as he pulled back the corner of the tapestry to reveal a door. Loki smiled, Anison could do some amazing things, like making doors appear where there had never been one before. Even now that he was grown, the feats of magic Anison could perform could still amaze him. He didn't bother to ask Anison how he did it, it would lead to a long complicated conversation that in the end Loki still wouldn't know fully how he created a door in a stone wall. So instead he asked the simpler question, “Where does it lead?”   
  
Anison smiled at his student, “My tower. Is that alright with you my prince?”   
  
“Yes, its fine.” Anison's tower had always been a place of mystery and wonder for Loki, and also a sanctuary, as a child he always felt safe there, whenever her was scolded or he and Thor got into a fight he would always run to Anison's tower. Even just sitting and watching Anison brew a potion far too complicated for him to comprehend always made him feel better.  
  
“You still haven't told me why you left.” Loki watched as his mentor became very still.   
  
Anison turned and looked at Loki, his eyes somber. He walked over and sat down on the edge of the bed and took a deep breath. “I never left, I was detained.” He didn't even have the heart to look Loki in the eyes, he hated that he was going to upset Loki.  
  
“By who?”  
  
“Odin.”  
  
Loki froze and looked at Anison, “Why?”  
  
Anison took a deep breath and reached over grasping Loki's hand, “Because I know who you really are.” Loki watched as his skin on his arm turned blue, he jerked his hand away from Anison, holding it close to him as if he had been hurt. Anison just let his hand fall back into his lap, taking another deep breath.  
  
“I wanted to tell you the truth, I felt you deserved to know who you are. I wanted Odin to tell you, explain to you why. When I told him he became furious with me, kept yelling how you where his son, and nothing more. When I told him I would tell you with or without his blessing, he sealed me away.” Anison stared at the far wall.  
  
Loki just sat there, unmoving, he didn't know what to say, he was angry, furious, angry at Odin, angry at Anison, angry at himself. He closed his eyes trying to fight back the torrent of emotions he felt. “Leave me.”  
  
Anison looked stunned, he opened his mouth but was cut off by Loki, “Just go!” Anison resigned to his prince's wishes, rose and left the room through the door he had created on the wall without another word.


	4. Chapter 4

After taking time to think, and a short nap, Loki decided he owed Anison an apology. It was not his mentor's fault what had happened, it wasn't he who took Loki from Jotunhiem as a child, and it would appear in all of this it was only Anison who had ever been truly on his side. Loki rose from his bed and made his way to the door behind the tapestry. He pulled at the handle and the door opened before him, he had no reason to believe Anison would lock him out.   
  
He ascended the stairs till it opened into a room the size of Loki's chambers, soft cloth of varying types draped the walls in a wide array of colors, a fire crackled in a large fireplace surrounded by plush furniture of varied styles. Anison's tower could be summed up in one world, eclectic. His mentor had traveled many realms and took style from each in the design of his personal space, as well as his person. Everything in Anison's tower had a story, a tale of a place far away, stories that had once made a young prince's eyes glitter with wonder.   
  
Leaned over a work bench was the man Loki had trusted more than anyone, a large leather bound tome sat on a pedestal near him as Anison ground up something with a mortar and pestle. A fairly large vessel sat suspended over a magical flame, the sounds of liquid bubbling mixed with the sound of the stone grinding together. Loki had no doubt Anison knew he was present, Anison always knew when people where in his tower, but he kept his eyes focused on the task ahead of him. Loki sat down in an over sized chair near the pedestal, sighing contently as he sank into the plush fabric. Loki sat sideways in the chair, one leg draped over the arm so he could watch Anison. His mentor had an unreadable stone faced look as he ground the ingredient before him. Loki took a deep breath before he began to speak, “Anison, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have yelled at you, none of this is your fault.”   
  
He watched Anisom closely as he lifted the dish he had been grinding in and dumped it into the vessel suspended over the flame. He set it down softly before he turned his eyes to meet Loki's. The prince had never felt so guilty in his life as he did when he looked into Anison's eyes, they where filled with sadness, no anger, no spite, pure deep sadness.  
  
“Do you hate me for not telling you?”   
  
“No, I don't know if I would have even believed you.” Loki looked away unable to hold Anison's gaze any longer, “I would have thought you where playing a trick, some type of illusion. Without Odin there I don't know if I would have taken you seriously.”   
  
He chanced a glance back and found Anison stirring the contents of the vessel. Once content with stirring it, Anison reached for two cups, wiped some dust out of them with his sleeves then placed them down in front of him, and with a wave of his hand extinguished the flame before lifting the vessel and pouring its contents into the two cups. He lifted up the cups and offered one out to Loki. The prince took it, thanking him, and took a sip as he watched his mentor. After another sip, Loki realized this was not the same brew he had been drinking for the last few days, in fact this was something Loki himself had made many times, it was meant to clam the nerves, and focus the mind. It showed how upset his mentor really was. Loki held the cup in his hands looking down into the amber liquid.   
  
“How long have you know?” he asked, in truth Loki wondered if there had been signs all along, signals he had missed.  
  
Anison took a long sip before answering, “Since you where born.” Loki had to keep himself from spilling the hot liquid on himself, he was stunned, “How?” Anison took a long deep breath before pulling a stool up in front of Loki. “I knew your parents, I served in Laufey's court for many years, and I trained your mother, much like I trained you.”   
  
Loki was in shock, he couldn't even move, he forgot how to breathe. His parents? His mother? He knew who his biological father was, hel he had killed him, but his mother, it had never crossed Loki's mind to consider who his mother was, let alone that anyone would know who she was. Loki's mind was running faster than the speed of light, he couldn't process all of it. He jumped when Anison placed a hand on his leg. Luck had it that Loki had drank enough of the liquid that it didn't spill on him, he took another long drink, wishing it had some magical property to make all this make sense.   
  
“You are the reason I came to Asgard, I came looking for you. By time I found you you had already begun to grow up as an Aesir Prince. Taking you away would not only have started another war, but hurt you as well. So I did the only thing I could, I became your teacher in order to be near you.”  
  
“Did you intend to take me back to Johtunhiem once you told me?” Loki looked up into Anison's deep blue eyes.  
  
“No, I intended for you to make your own choices. I was only going to give you the information, what you did with it would be your decision alone, and it still is.” Anison sat back and watched his student. Loki downed the last of his drink and set the cup on a side table.   
  
“What was my mother like?” he asked inquisitively.  
  
Anison smiled, “You have your father's temper, but all the best traits of your mother. Talent, grace, and beauty. He was truly a wonder to behold.”  
  
“He?” Loki was confused, while truthfully he had never seen a female Johtun, in truth he knew little of the Johtun race, save for the bedtime stories and what little Anison had spoke of them.  
  
“Have I not taught you about Johtun physiology?” Loki shook his head.  
  
“I guess now is a good time as any.” Anison stood up and began to walk the room, he came to a shelf and pulled a book from it, he blew off the dust, opened it and flipped to a page before walking back and handing it to Loki.  
  
“Johtun have no defined gender, unlike many races in the nine realms, all Johtun are capable of both sirring and carrying children. In most cases the decision is made by who is stronger, in other words whom can dominate whom. Johtun are typically defined as male because of their large stature and appearances in reference to other races.” Loki looked at the page in front of him as Anison spoke, it was an anatomical depiction of a standard Johtun detailing, in a language Loki could not read, the various organs and parts.   
  
“Master, if I may, I look like nothing like this. Odin himself said I was small for a Johtun child.”   
  
“This is true, because you are not a normal Johtun, and neither was your mother.” He lifted the book from Loki's lap and flipped a few pages before handing it back. The drawings on this page looked much different, they looked like Loki. The stature was smaller, they possessed hair, and the model depicted sported an impressive set of horns protruding from his forehead, with a note scrawled next to it, of which Loki could not read. “What are they, what am I?” Loki looked up at Anison and he smiled before waving his hand over the page. The text changed, it became a language Loki could read, the title at the top of the page read “Wyrm Blood”  
  
“Do you remember me telling you about Wyrms?”   
  
“They are creatures born at the beginning of time, great creatures of magic.”  
  
“They, you, are what happened when a Wyrm bred with a Johtun many eons ago. You posses talents unknown to any normal Johtun, and in many tribes Wyrm bloods are revered as symbols of power and good fortune. That is why Laufey chose one as his mate.” Loki sat there fascinated, reading over the notes written around the drawing. For the first time since he had discovered his lineage, Loki did not feel disgusted by himself, he felt empowered.


End file.
